Conveyer.



PATENTED MAY 24, 1904.

T. S. MILLER.

GONVEYBR.

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PATENTED MAY 24, 1904.

T. s. MILLER.

GONVEYBR.

APPLICATION mum my 9. 1900.

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Patented May 24:, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS SPENCER MILLER, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,468, dated May 24, 1904.

Application filed May 9, 1900. Serial No. 15,995- (No model.)

To (bi/Z whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs SPENCER MIL- LEE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of South Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Conveyor, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to certain improvements in load-carriages for use upon inclined eableways, whereby a single combined hoisting and conveying rope may be used when the inclination of the trackway is so low that the resultant of the forces acting on the carriage through the hoisting-rope and gravity is in clined to move the carriage up the trackway rather than to hoist the load.

Broadly speaking, the invention consists chiefly in a brake which is applied by the weight of the load and released by removal of the weight, so that when unloaded the carriage moves freely upon the trackway and when loaded the resistance of the brake is brought into action.

It also consists of certain parts and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 shows my device in elevation as applied to transferring goods from a lighter to a dock or other vessel. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the carrier with the parts in position occupied when a load is upon the carrier, and Fig. 3 is an elevation of the carrier unloaded.

In my present device it is designed to produce a carrier which may be locked in position upon the tramway or cableby which it is supported while the load is being raised or lowered and which may be made to travel upon said tramway, the movement of the carrier and the hoisting of the 'load being done by a single cable.

The drawings accompanying this specification show my invention in the form which is now preferred by me, although it will be evident that the construction of various parts of my device may be varied from that herein shown without departing from the spirit of the invention or changing its essential features.

' In Fig. 1 my device is shown as in use for transferring goods from a lighter L to a vessel or dock K, alongside of which the lighter is fastened. Upon said vessel or dock an elevated support for the tramway-cable B and for the load-hoisting cablel) is provided. At the edge of the vessel or dock shear-legs J are employed, which are hinged at their lower ends and extend outwardly and at a slight in cline, the outer ends of the shear-legs being held down bymeans of weights, as l/V, of any convenient form attached thereto. The tramway-cable B is secured to the outer ends of the shear-legs and at its inner end to any convenient support, and tension is applied to said cable by the weights suspended from the upper and outer ends of the shear-legs, The carriage, which is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, consists of a suitable frame A, within which is mounted a sheave Ur or any other suitable form of guide for the hoisting-cabio I). The hoisting device shown in connection with this carriage consists of a pulley lb, which is mounted within a suitable frame H and provided with a hook it, to which the load may be attached, and bars I, extending upwardly, to which the end of the hoistingrope may be secured. The carriage A is provided with an additional sheave, over which a bight of the cable passes, thus forming a triple hoist. The carriage is provided with wheels E, which are adapted to roll upon the tramway-cable B. These wheels have their journals passing through slots 6, formed in the upper part of the carriage-frame. The weight of the carriage is also normally supported upon springs E, which are secured at their upper ends to the journals of the Wheels and at their lowercnds to the carriage-frame. In the upper portion of the carriage-frame, herein shown as between the wheels E, is placed a block G, which when the carriage is unloaded is carried at a slight distance above the cable B, but when the springs F are extended by means of a load upon the carriage, as shown in Fig. 2, the block O is made to bear upon the cable, thus forming a brake which is applied by loading the carriage and which serves to prevent movement of the carriage upon the cable until sufficient power has been applied to overcome the friction thereof. It is evident that the position and form both of the springs and the brake may be widely varied, and yet remain in principle the same.

In using this device the tramway should be inclined a suflicient amount so that when the brake is freed therefrom the carriage will travel down the cable under the influence of gravity. At the lower end of the tramway where it is desired to hoist the load a stop should be provided upon the cable to limit its downward travel. As soon as the carriage strikes this stop the hoisting-pulley H will be lowered. As soon as the load is applied to this pulley the springs F are extended and the brake is brought into operation, thus preventing the carriage from traveling up the incline until the upper end of the. bars I, forming a part of the frame of the hoisting-block, strike the lower portion of the carriage, as shown in Fig. 2. I/Vhen the load cannot be hoisted farther, the additional strain brought upon the carriage will be suflicient to overcome the resistance of the brake, and the carriage will be caused to travel up the tramway, the brake being at all times in operationand in a measure resisting the forward movement of the carriage. The friction of the brake should be suflicient to prevent the carriage from traveling down the incline, so that when the carriage is stopped and the hoisting-ropeD paid out the load will be lowered. It is thus possible to stop the carriage, so as to lower the load at any point beneath the tramway-Cable B. As soon as the load has been removed from the hoist the brake C is released, and the carriage is free to travel downthe tramway. It will thus be seen that the operation of hoisting and lowering and of locking the carriage in place is performed by the manipulation of a single cable.

It will be evident upon inspection by a mechanic that the manner of applying the principle shown and described in this invention may be widely varied without essentially departing from the invention. I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the particular construction herein shown, .as I am aware of various Ways in which the construction may be varied. The construction shown is the one which at present is preferred by me.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a hoisting and conveying device, the combination with a trackway and a hoistingrope, of a carriage upon said trackway provided with a guide for the hoist-rope, a load operated brake upon said carriage, and a spring acting when unrestrained to free said brake.

2. In a hoisting and conveying device the combination of a trackway, a carriage yieldingly supported upon the trackway, a brake member adapted to engage the trackway when the carriage is depressed, and a hoisting-rope pressed by a load, and a hoist-rope supported.

by the carriage-frame.

4:. In a'hoisting and conveying device, the combination of an inclined trackway, a carriage thereon movable downward by gravity, a hoist-rope supported by said carriage, a brake upon the carriage and means for applying and releasing said brake by varying the weight ofthe load.

5. In a hoistingand conveying device, the combination with a trackway, a carriage adapted to travel thereon, a hoist-rope and a movable supporting-guide for the hoist-rope upon said carriage, of a brake, connections from brake to said movable rope-supporting guide, and means for automatically freeing the brake when the carriage is unloaded.

6. A load-carriage made in two relatively movable parts, one part containing the trackengaging members and the other containing a brake and means for lifting the load, and means engaging both parts of the carriage and acting in opposition tofthe load to free the brake whenever the load falls below a predetermined amount.

7. A load-carriage having a hoist-rope-supporting member and trackway-engaging members movable relatively to each other, a brake operated by said.relative movement, and

means acting to move said parts in opposition to the weight of the load.

8. In a hoist ng and conveying device, in

combination, a trackway, a carriage, a yield-- ing support for said carriage from the track Way, a brake adapted to engage the trackway and brought into action by the, yielding of said carriage-support under the load.

9. In combination, a trackway, a wheel running thereon, a brake, and a load-support, a connection between the wheel and the loadsupport whereby the latter is normally supported by the wheel and a connection between the load-support and the brake whereby the latter is set by an increase in, the weight of the load.

10. In combination, a trackway, a wheel running thereon, a brake, a fall-rope sheaye, a connection between the wheel and fall-rope sheave whereby the latter is normally supported by the wheel and a connection between the sheave and brake whereby the latter is set by an increase in the weight of the load.

. 11. In a hoisting and conveying apparatus, in combination, a load-carriage, a trackway, a brake and wheel both mounted upon said carriage above said trackway in a position to support said carriage and a reciprocating connection between said wheel and brake permitting of the transfer of a portion of the support of the carriage from one to the other.

12. In combination, a trackway, a wheel running thereon, a load-support, a brake above said trackway, a rigid connection between said brake and load-support, and a yielding connection between said wheel and load-support.

13. In a hoisting and conveying apparatus, in combination, a trackway, a load-carriage, a rolling support and. a sliding support for said carriage on said trackway, means whereby the weight of the unloaded carriage is borne by said rolling support, exclusively, but whereby the weight of the loaded carriage is thrown upon-said rolling and sliding supports conjointly.

14. In a hoisting and conveying apparatus, in combination, a load-carriage, a trackway, a rolling support and a sliding support bearing the weight of the loaded carriage conjointly and means whereby said sliding support is unseated on removal of the load.

15. In a hoisting and conveying device, in combination, a trackway, a carriage thereon, a hoist-rope supported by said carriage, a rolling support for said carriage upon said trackway, a brake upon the carriage and means for throwing the brake into or out 01' action when the strain upon the hoist-rope exceeds or falls below a predetermined amount.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS SPENCER MILLER.

WVitn esses:

H. L. REYNOLDS, CHARLES J. RATHJEN. 

